low pays

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "low pays" is not correct in standard written English.
It is likely intended to refer to low wages or low salaries, which are more commonly used expressions. Example: "Many workers are struggling to make ends meet due to low pays in their industry."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

The reason is that the Department of Agriculture's loan-deficiency programme, which makes direct payments to farmers when market prices are low, pays higher rates for soyabeans than for wheat or maize.

The Economist

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

59 human-written examples

Low pay disproportionally hurts women.

Independent

Low pay discourages well-educated recruits.

The Economist

The only jobs were low paid and service sector jobs.

The Guardian

The low paid and poorly regulated work perpetuates wider poverty.

The Guardian

Most new jobs are low paid, precarious and part time.

The Guardian - Opinion

"They will not escape this low paid and dangerous work.

The Guardian

In London 10% of workers are officially low paid.

The Guardian - Opinion

This would enable more of the low paid to benefit.

The Guardian - Money

Too many of those jobs are low paid.

Independent

Some appointments can be low paying and time consuming.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Always use the singular form "low pay" instead of "low pays" when referring to the general concept of inadequate compensation. For specific instances of multiple payments, consider rephrasing to use "low wages" or "low salaries".

Common error

Do not pluralize "pay" when describing the general condition of being poorly compensated. The phrase "low pays" is grammatically incorrect. Use "low pay" as the correct form.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "low pays" functions incorrectly as a noun phrase intended to describe inadequate compensation. As highlighted by Ludwig, the proper form is the singular noun phrase "low pay" or alternative phrases like "low wages".

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

50%

Science

50%

Formal & Business

0%

Less common in

Academia

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "low pays" is generally considered grammatically incorrect. The correct and widely accepted form is "low pay", which functions as a noun phrase describing inadequate compensation. As Ludwig AI points out, "low pays" is not standard written English. While there's a single example available, it’s important to recognize the grammatical error and opt for alternatives such as "low wages" or "low salaries" for greater clarity and correctness. Sources like The Guardian, Independent, and The Economist frequently address the issue of low pay, highlighting its impact on various sectors.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

low pay

Singular noun phrase; the standard and grammatically correct term.

low wages

Uses the plural noun 'wages' instead of 'pay', implying earnings are consistently low.

meager income

Replaces 'low' with 'meager' and 'pays' with 'income', emphasizing the insufficiency of earnings.

poor compensation

Substitutes 'low' with 'poor' and 'pays' with 'compensation', highlighting the inadequacy of the payment.

inadequate salary

Uses 'inadequate' instead of 'low' and 'salary' to indicate a fixed, often monthly, payment that is insufficient.

paltry earnings

Emphasizes the insignificance of the earnings using the adjective 'paltry'.

scant remuneration

Replaces both words to convey a more formal sense of very little payment.

insufficient income

Replaces "low" with "insufficient", highlighting the inadequacy.

small salaries

Uses the adjective 'small' to describe the salaries.

minimal compensation

Replaces 'low' with 'minimal', suggesting the least possible amount of compensation.

FAQs

What's the correct way to say "low pays"?

The correct phrase is "low pay". "Low pays" is grammatically incorrect.

What are some synonyms for "low pay"?

You can use alternatives such as "low wages", "inadequate salary", or "meager income" depending on the specific context.

How does "low pay" affect workers?

Low pay can lead to financial insecurity, reduced living standards, and difficulty meeting basic needs. It can also contribute to higher stress levels and decreased job satisfaction.

Is there a difference between "low pay" and "minimum wage"?

"Low pay" refers to earnings that are generally inadequate, while "minimum wage" is a legally mandated lowest hourly wage that employers must pay. While minimum wage jobs are often "low paying jobs", not all low-paying jobs are at minimum wage.